Amara's POV:
On the 31st of December, it was around 11:30 pm. I was in my room on the top floor of my father's duplex, having a bath and preparing to sleep.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a white towel, I heard a knock on the door. I walked up to the door and pulled it open. Then I saw Agnes, my mother's maid, standing there and smiling at me.
Agnes was wearing a blue nightdress, and she was a light-skinned young woman like myself. I am 24 years old, tall, pretty, with sharp blue eyes, long blonde hair, and smooth fair skin. Agnes was brown-skinned and my height.
I held a blue nightdress in my hand, preparing to dress up and sleep. As I peered at her face, the weather was windy due to the harmattan, and the smell of the New Year festival was in the air.
I knew my parents were preparing for the fireworks with a few of our relatives. Then I looked at Agnes's face and asked her, "What do you want, Agnes?"
Agnes smiled and replied, "Amara, your father sent for you to come downstairs now."
"Why? But we just finished having our dinner in the dining room. What does my father want to say to me again? I'm not interested in the New Year celebration, and I want to sleep," I replied with a grumble, glaring at Agnes.
"I don't know," Agnes replied with a faint smile. "But your father is downstairs with your mom, and the visitors had gone outside, preparing for the fireworks."
"That's fine." I rolled my eyes at Agnes's words. "Tell my father I will be downstairs soon. Let me go and dress up and also use the restroom before coming downstairs."
"Alright," Agnes replied, and she turned around and left my corridor.
I sighed and went back into my room, dressed up in a blue nightdress. Then I went into the restroom to relieve myself, before I got out again and went downstairs to the living room of my father's enormous white mansion.
I live in the countryside with my parents. My father is a chief and is into agricultural farming. He owns a large production company for farming goods and products, like rice, beans, and maize.
Well, I am more like a princess at home, and my mother is the center of admiration. Our people love me, as my mother taught me to be kind and helpful to those around us.
The cross-over night was a big festival and ritual to brand a new year.
I don't know how to feel about it, but I am the only child of my parents, and I'm still single, wishing for a good partner.
My parents aren't pressing for me to get married, as my father is quite an understanding man.
However, a few bachelors had come to ask for my hand in marriage, even my crush, Charles Wilfred. But my father declined. His reasons, I do not know, but my mother has assured me that my father wanted the best for me and couldn't just give me away to any random male suitor who would treat me less in the future.
I understood and sighed, going downstairs to the living room of this mansion.
The standard duplex was surrounded by lush greenery. It was fenced, and now with the ongoing celebration, we had many visitors. The guest rooms were occupied by my cousins and aunt.
Finally, I walked into the living room, and Agnes stepped out of the kitchen and said, "Amara, your dad requests for you to meet him in his study."
"Alright," I replied and went to my father's home office to see him.
I suspected that my father wanted to tell me about something private and he did not want anyone to eavesdrop.
Then I arrived at the front door of my father's home office and knocked.
I heard my father's calm response, "Come inside."
Quietly, I pushed the office door open and walked into my father's enormous office. It had about six chairs, two guest chairs, and a set of four blue long couches.
My parents sat on a blue couch together. My father grinned and said, "Come on, Amara. Come and have a seat before the fireworks start. Your mother and I have something important to say to you."
"Okay, Dad," I replied and entered the room. Shortly after, I was seated on another blue couch across from my parents.
My mother was wearing a red nightdress, and my dad wore a white garment and black trousers. As I peered at their happy faces, wondering what was going on.
My dad smiled and said, "Amara, it has come to the point that your mother and I need to inform you about our arrangement. We have been keeping it from you, but now is the time to inform you about our decision."
"Alright, Dad," I replied, anxiously and wondering what my father had to say.
"Well, I'm sure you're familiar with my friend, Mr. Joshua Briggs," Dad asked.
"Yeah, I know Mr. Joshua. He lives in the city and visits here sometimes," I said with a smile.
"Good. Well, you are married to Mr. Joshua's only son, Darlington Briggs. You will be going to the city tomorrow to live with him," My father informed me.
I gasped, "What? Dad, I don't understand. How can I be married to your friend's son? When? I cannot remember getting married to any man, or did I have a memory loss?"
I stared at my parents in shock. Like, how did I get married without remembering about it and also wishing to settle down and have my home? My father sighed, and my mother smiled.
"It was an arrangement I had with Mr. Joshua a long time ago when you're a baby. You are not fully married to Darlington Briggs officially, but you will have to live with him to see if you both can be compatible to become a true couple," my father said.
"What? Dad, I do not understand what you are saying. You mean, I will visit them, or I am already married to the man you're saying is your best friend's son? And doing what married couples do with him?" I asked my father in shock, wanting to understand him better.
"Amara, like I said, you are married to Darlington Briggs, and you should be a good lady to him when you get to their house in the city. You don't have to worry about anything; Mr. Joshua has paid all the necessities for your hand in marriage for his only son. So Darlington Briggs is your husband, and you are his wife now. The only difference is that Darlington did not come down here to marry you officially, neither did you wear a wedding dress to walk down the aisle with him. But you are his wife by our traditional custom," my father said.
"What? Dad, I cannot marry a man that I don't know. I can't go to the city to be with him. Mom?" I looked at my mother's face, wanting to hear her response about all these arrangements.
Mom sighed and said, "Amara, calm down. It is for your good."
"How, Mom? I cannot go to the city to live with a man I'm not familiar with, Dad. I do not like the bustling lives of city people. I want to remain here, where there's no noise and wild lifestyle," I protested, wanting my father to change his mind about these sudden arrangements.
My father sighed and said, "Amara, I can understand your complaint, but I trust Mr. Joshua's son to take good care of you. So, you're going to the city tomorrow."
